


Just one small game

by Octopod



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:20:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25037629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Octopod/pseuds/Octopod
Summary: “Are you two playing nice?”“I’malwaysnice.”What went through the Inquisitor’s mind right before she decided to visit Cullen and Dorian’s chess game? Very small one-shot about the moment right before Cullen's chess scene.
Relationships: Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Just one small game

From atop the battlements, the Inquisitor looked down at the scene below her and scoffed. Dorian had just moved a chess piece across the board - without ever touching it - _in front of a templar._ No, she corrected herself: ex-templar. She watched Cullen laugh at Dorian’s move and pick up one of his own pieces. She couldn’t hear what they were saying - she was too far away for that - but from their body language she could tell they were enjoying themselves.  
Evelyn absent-mindedly tapped the side of her staff strapped to her back, the weight of it feeling heavier than usual.  
A low voice startled her out of her reverie. “Enjoying the view?”  
She looked around to see Bull standing behind her, his hands resting in his pockets. Seeing Evelyn’s guilty look, he laughed.  
“It’s alright, boss. A little surveillance never hurt anyone.”  
“Says the Ben-Hassrath spy.”  
Evelyn wasn’t a nosy person - or so she told herself - but she couldn’t help staring because she had never seen Cullen like this before: even with his back turned towards her, she could tell that he was, well, relaxed. The way he leaned back, how his arms easily rested on the chair, how he had laughed freely at Dorian’s jests. Cullen was not thinking of work for once, and it was showing.  
“I was just going to pick up Dorian.” Bull said. “You going with me downstairs? I’m sure you could take Dorian’s place at the board if you’d want.”  
Evelyn only made a non-committal noise.  
Bull looked sideways at her, his forehead crinkled into a frown. Then some kind of understanding settled in his eyes and he gestured towards the two men.  
“They’re quite the pair, huh?”  
“Yeah.”  
She admired Dorian. Unlike herself, Dorian used every opportunity to show off his power. With a subtle flick of his hand here, a not-so-subtle pointing of his staff there, his style of magic was colourful, loud, and - although she would never admit this to him - enviable. Cassandra had on occasion expressed her disapproval of his casual use of magic, but she applauded him for it. He wasn’t afraid to show people who he was. Even in front of a temp- no, _ex-templar_ \- he wasn’t afraid to remind Cullen that Dorian represented the very thing Cullen once fought against. She didn’t have that kind of courage. Especially not in front of the commander.  
“You know,” She let out a long breath. “I just didn’t expect them to become so… familiar.“  
“Because Dorian’s a mage?”  
It took a while before she answered. “Maybe.”  
Bull gave her a pat on the back, the gesture surprisingly gentle coming from the large Qunari.  
“If that’s what’s bothering you, Cullen might yet surprise you.”  
As he said that, Dorian looked up, saw them, and smirked.  
Cullen turned around to follow Dorian’s gaze, and met Evelyn’s eyes.  
Startled, he immediately sat up a little straighter, his arm half-raised as if going for a salute. Then he caught himself, and his face eased into a shy smile. Without realising it, she instantly found herself smiling back at him.  
Bull hummed approvingly. “You see?”  
She was still smiling when Cullen abruptly turned towards Dorian again, who was twirling his moustache with a smug air.  
Beside her, Bull chuckled.  
“You know, I think catching him like this is the best chance you’re ever going to get.”  
Evelyn’s smile vanished. “I don’t know what you mean, Bull”.  
“Uhuh. In either case, I’m going downstairs.”  
As he walked away, Evelyn remained behind, her hand absentmindedly tapping a rhythm on the wall. Once more she looked towards the garden, and found the commander looking at her again. He immediately turned back to the board, followed by a loud laugh from Dorian.  
Evelyn blinked, her fingers freezing mid-tap.  
“I guess I could ask him for one small game.” she said to herself.  
Then she walked off after Bull, down to the garden.

~*~

“Are you two playing nice?”  
“I’m _always_ nice.”


End file.
